Applicants sought for council painting scheme
FOR the first time Doneraile has been included in a Cork County Council funded scheme aimed at addressing the issue of derelict buildings across its Fermoy Municipal District.
Since its introduction the district has allocated more than €78,000 to the Streetscape, Painting, Signage and Improvement scheme across its three main towns. Broken down, this equates to €28,160 granted to 38 successful applicants in Fermoy, €29,693 to 31 projects in Mitchelstown and €19,914 to 23 applicants in Charleville.
The 2018 allocation of €28.500 will bring the total amount of funding handed out since the scheme was introduced to more than €106,000.
This years allocation will include an allocation of €6,250 for Doneraile and Charleville from the Council’s Dereliction Fund and €8,000 for Fermoy and Mitchelstown from its Town Development Fund for the painting element of the scheme.
Fermoy municipal district officer Pauline Moriarty said the scheme incorporated a range of measures aimed at tackling dereliction that can have a hugely beneficial impact on a particular area.
“Working in conjunction with the Council, property owners can reduce the cost of rejuvenating their properties while at the same time helping to considerably improve the visual aspect of an entire street,” said Ms Moriarty.
She said it was important to point out that the purpose of the scheme was not to suggest that any particular town or area was worse than others, but to take a proactive approach to the issue of dereliction and look at measures that can lead to improvements to areas of local towns.
“Dereliction, by its very nature, is a problem that develops over time and it is acknowledged that property owners may have in recent times found it increasingly difficult to undertake improvement or refurbishment works,” said Ms Moriarty.
“However, the negative impact that dereliction can have on an entire town can not be understated. Working together, property owners and the Council will incrementally make significant improvements that will not just bring economic benefits but will also help restore pride in how our towns look.”
The painting element of the scheme has been to allow both tenants and the owners of buildings claim a maximum grant of 100% towards the cost of materials when they commit to undertake the work themselves. The Council’s architects department will also assist in ensuring colour schemes are appropriately chosen for particular areas.
The local authority will also work with applicants where other minor improvements are required to render properties ‘non-derelict’ and will provide a 50% grant for the cost of replacing exciting signage with ‘ heritage-type signs’.
For more information about eligibility and how to apply for funding under the initiative contact your local council office or follow the link at www.corkcoco.ie.